Wednesday What-Nots 12/3

Take & Make kits are ready! Pick up at the Extension Office!

Someone left us money in the dropbox, but there was no note or name attached! Please reach out if this was you. Thank you.

The Otoe County Extension office will follow the University of Nebraska-Lincoln holiday shutdown schedule and will be closed December 24 - January 2. We'll reopen on Monday, January 5. Happy holidays from our staff to all our 4-H families, volunteers, and supporters!

Any adult (staff, parent, volunteer) supporting youth completing the state-eligible 4-H Achievement Application is welcome to participate. Training is free of charge and will be recorded. The training format will consist of 30 minutes of content, followed by question and answer. Must register to receive the virtual connection details. Register by visiting: https://go.unl.edu/achievementapplicationtraining

Those youth 15-18 that submitted county level achievement applications are now eligible to submit for state-level awards and recognition.

4‑H members ages 15-18 as of December 31 of the current year are eligible to participate in the state-level awards application process regardless of the delivery mode in which they participated.

Be sure to follow the application instructions found in the link: Achievement Application | Nebraska 4-H | Nebraska

Attention Leaders and Adult Volunteers: The state 4-H office has changed the requirements for the mandatory Volunteer Orientation to ensure easier access for volunteers. Starting January 5, 2026, all volunteers will be required to complete the Volunteer Orientation within 4HOnline prior to service, with renewal required every 3 years. However, the state office has confirmed that if you log into 4HOnline and sign up to be a volunteer or leader PRIOR to January 1, you can delay your required Orientation until next year!

Because the majority of our Otoe volunteers completed the Orientation last year during our mandatory screening period, we encourage you to take a moment to sign up in 4HOnline NOW prior to the new year to avoid having to retake the course. Please share this information with your fellow club leaders and other registered volunteers! Contact Tracy with any questions.

Please turn in your club's year treasure report to the Extension Office by Monday, January 5th.

https://go.unl.edu/4hclubtreasurersreport

13th Annual Otoe County 4-H Foundation Banquet

Join us for an evening of celebration and support for Otoe County 4-H!

📍 Kimmel Event Center, Syracuse, NE
📅 Saturday, January 31, 2026

Doors Open – 6:00 PM
Appetizers – 6:30 PM
Dinner – 7:00 PM

Keynote - Allison Walbrecht, Nebraska CARET Delegate

Tickets: $30 per person
Table Sponsorship: Reserve a table of 8 for $225

All funds raised through this event benefit our Otoe County 4-H program through scholarships, club grants, and more! Hope to see you there.

Please apply by December 15th, 2025 for the 2026 program year. For more information

regarding the Fed Steer Challenge, or to submit an application please visit https://4h.unl.edu/fed-steer-challenge

The Program includes raising a steer purchased at market price, monthly webinars with industry professional and UNL Animal Science Faculty, a special class at the Nebraska State Fair evaluated by a commercial cattle buyer, and harvesting steers to evaluate carcass merit. Monthly content includes: Feeder Cattle Pricing and Starting Cattle on Feed, Winter Feeding & Care of Cattle, Implants & Growth Modifiers, Cattle & the Environment, Risk Management Strategies, Summer Feeding & Care of Cattle, Quality & Yield Grading and Grid Pricing for Carcass Merit.

Registration for the 2026 Nebraska 4-H Farrowed and Owned Swine Cohort is now open until January 30, 2026.

Youth may exhibit their Farrowed and Owned project animals at a 2026 Nebraska county fair or the Nebraska State Fair. All cohort members will participate in an interview at the 2026 Nebraska State Fair. Exhibiting your animal at the Nebraska State Fair is not a requirement for the record book and interview portion of the cohort.

We are looking for volunteers who would be willing to commit to teaching one (or more) or the following:

Ag and Food Systems: AgCiting Science. 2nd Grade

College and Career Pathways: Smart Cents. 5th Grade

Health and Wellness: Health Rocks!. 3rd Grade

STEM: Eggstreme Engineering. 4th Grade

Volunteers would be trained on the curriculum, go into classrooms/programs that the local staff has identified, teach the lessons, and conduct the evaluation.

Contact the Extension Office if you are interested!

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Nebraska Poultry Industries invite applications for the $1,000 Nebraska Poultry Education Scholarship. Applicants must be interested in a career that is directly poultry-based in Nebraska. Application Deadline is December 15, 2025. Details and instructions available at https://form.jotform.com/241074264376154

Attention graduating seniors interested in veterinary science! The Nebraska Elite 11 Veterinarian Program is a scholarship program for Nebraska students aimed at increasing the number of new veterinarians practicing in production animal practices in rural Nebraska. Up to 20 first-time freshmen will receive the Nebraska Production Animal Health Scholarship, which covers 50% of their tuition for the first two years of their study in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with further scholarship opportunities for the 3rd, 4th, and PPVM program years. For more details and application guidelines, visit https://casnr.unl.edu/nebraska-elite-11-veterinarian-program/. Applications are due January 9.

Details can be found in the attached PDF or on our website at https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/otoe/awards-recognition/. Applications due January 7.

Tracy Ensor, 4-H Youth Development Associate Extension Educator, tensor2@unl.edu

Kristen Herrick, 4-H Extension Assistant, kherrick3@unl.edu

Ben Jewell, Rural Prosperity Nebraska Associate Extension Educator, bmcshane-jewell2@unl.edu

Cheryl Goff, Office Manager, cheryl.goff@unl.edu

Website: www.otoe.unl.edu

Location: 620 1st Street, Syracuse, NE, USA
Phone: (402) 269-2301
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nebraska-Extension-in-Otoe-County